Council approved the site plan for an affordable housing development at a special meeting last Thursday.
The plan, for 40 units to the southwest of Stoneridge Boulevard, was first reviewed by council at its Oct. 13 meeting, but confusion over the number of units delayed any decision on council’s behalf.
At last week’s meeting, the Otten brothers presented a revised plan to council, which contains 40 apartment-style units (one shared entry for all units) in four buildings, instead of 40 units with separate entries.
The revised plan also has two entry points to the development, as required for emergency access, and is set further to the west on the 3.5 hectare parcel of land, to allow for more space between the development and the existing homes on Stoneridge.
Considering this increased green space, it was asked if a fifth unit would ever be built.
“At this point, we haven’t totally closed the door on it, but in all likelihood, the possibility is very low.” Otten agreed that the current site plan, which also has a small maintenance/office building, was an “absolute” plan, to use the words of Coun. Don Van Galen.
Larry Otten told council that “we are trying to offer a higher quality of life (to seniors on a budget and those with disabilities); the units will be tastefully designed and will complement the neighbourhood.”
Grant Brouwer, the town’s chief building official, vocalized concerns he heard from citizens during the week.
“It’s been a very popular question this week -- why didn’t we know (about the plans until they came to council)?”
Brouwer explained that, since the zoning was already correct for the development, a public meeting didn’t have to take place -- in fact, under the current zoning, which allows town houses and apartments, it could have 150 units and still technically be permissible.
As well, a traffic study wasn’t necessary because, when the Meadowridge area was first built, traffic studies for all the roadways in the area were done on the basis of the subdivision being completely constructed.
Coun. Bill Osborne suggested that the Ottens be “up front” about the development with residents in the area to address “the stigma of subsidized housing.”
Otten agreed, saying “it’s in our best interest that this (development) doesn’t have a stigma; we want to offer a place that people want to call home.”
As such, an open house will take place next Thursday, Nov. 5 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Municipal Operations Centre. Letters will be sent to those living within 250 metres of the development to alert them to the meeting, and the Otten brothers will be at the meeting, as will representatives from the town’s building department and blueprints of the development.
As for the timeline of the project, Otten says that construction could begin by this spring, provided the the project is approved at the provincial level.
He added that he’d like to have all four units built concurrently, to minimize the impact of the construction process, and to have it completed with a year to 16 months.
“I’m sensitive to these types of things,” Otten said at the meeting, “I lived across from a five-storey apartment building construction job.”
Interim development charge passed
Council also approved an interim development charge bylaw at last week’s meeting. The existing bylaw had reached its expiration date, and since reviewing the development charges will take a few months at least, an interim one had to be put in place.
Gary Scanlon of Watson & Associates of Mississauga, who are reviewing the charges, suggested that the interim charge for residential development be $2,621 per single-family unit; the prior charge, established in 2004, was $2,617. Scanlon noted, however, that the 2004 charge had not been indexed annually, so the current charge should actually be higher than it is.
Scanlon added that the new charge is “very preliminary,” and will likely change once interviews take place with town staff and area developers.
Scanlon also gave council the option of establishing a non-residential (industrial/commercial) development charge -- something it does not currently have. Council declined to do so, as a means of fostering development.